The primary focus of this chapter-is a community-engaged research project that included 16 students enrolled for the BSocSci Honours Heritage and Cultural Tourism (HCT) programme in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) at the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa, as well as four members of the Historical Society of Mamelodi (HSM). The HSM project aimed at capturing the history and heritage of Mamelodi on a platform, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and required the collaboration of community members and students. Although the focus on digital histories was not exclusively the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the accelerating demand for virtual museum exhibits and online engagement brought by the pandemic contributed to the course design and to the rationale combination within a heritage studies course. Show less

The primary focus of this chapter-is a community-engaged research project that included 16 students enrolled for the BSocSci Honours Heritage and Cultural Tourism (HCT) programme in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) at the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa, as well as four members of the Show more

This research study builds on the concept of the Indigenous Story Teller (IST) created and developed in two previous commissioned UP research reports. The IST was conceived of and considered as a unique opportunity to counter the exclusionist nature of tourist guiding regulations and as potential for the South African tourism market. This current research focuses on the mechanisms to recognise the IST and the ways in which this integration into the tourist guiding landscape can be actualised. The research promulgated three flexible scenarios in order to implement this integration with varying implications for the tourist guiding fraternity. These can be classified as the “Current”, “Viable” and “Ideal” scenarios. Besides the integration of the IST in various propositions, these scenarios will also have a profound impact on the profile and ambit of the tourist guide per se, leading to a more professionalized and enhanced positionality of the guide in the South African tourism domain. Moreover, it is argued that not only will the recognition of the IST enhance the South African tourism offering at so many levels, but ultimately also make the South African tourist guiding sub-sector an international pioneer as well as a world trendsetter in terms of the integration of the IST. Show less

This research study builds on the concept of the Indigenous Story Teller (IST) created and developed in two previous commissioned UP research reports. The IST was conceived of and considered as a unique opportunity to counter the exclusionist nature of tourist guiding regulations and as potential for the South African tourism Show more

Tourist guiding is an important subsector of the tourism sector. In South Africa, tourism forms an important contributor to the economy and accounts for a large portion of employment. Tourist guiding has been seen as a mechanism for upliftment due to the relative ease of entering the sector. Despite this, transformation within the subsector has been relatively slow, particularly for women and the youth. This is concerning as the highest rates of unemployment in South Africa are among the youth. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to examine the potential opportunities, challenges, and barriers to transformation within the tourist guiding subsector, with an emphasis on previously disadvantaged groups. The study adopted a mixed-method research design, to ensure a holistic and in-depth investigation into the research topic. Given the large population of guides in the country, registered in alignment with the Act (3 of 2014), a quantitative approach using surveys was adopted to gather information from tourist guides. A mix of purposive and snowball sampling was used in disseminating an online survey link to tourist guides. Furthermore, to increase the response rate, data was also collected directly at key tourism attractions in the various provinces. A total of 434 usable surveys were collected. In addition, a qualitative approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of challenges to transformation, as well as, importantly, opportunities for transformation from an administrative and practical perspective. This was carried out in the form of in-depth interviews conducted with the provincial registrars of tourist guiding, as well as representatives of various tourist guiding associations, resulting in a total of 12 interviews. Findings from the surveys indicated that the tourist guiding subsector in South Africa is dominated by Black men between the ages of 35 and 44, highlighting issues of participation among women and the youth as has been previously noted. Most tourist guides operate within the culture-guiding category rather than adventure and nature, while Gauteng was the most represented province in terms of area of operation. These results are supplemented by those from the qualitative aspect of the study, where key findings emphasised the key role that the national and provincial registrars play in the cohesiveness of the subsector; in the achievement of the professionalisation of tourist guiding, given their ability to advance key aspects of transformation, as well as ensure that practical measures can be realised. Furthermore, the findings also point towards significant challenges that are faced by all stakeholders within the subsector, including tourist guides, registrars and associations – all of which act as inhibitors to the achievement of transformation in the subsector. Some of these challenges relate to the qualification of tourist guides, particularly in terms of costs and upkeep, registration and professionalisation of the subsector; administrative burdens; fragmented communication between stakeholders inhibiting transformation of the subsector. Also noted were issues surrounding awareness of the sector and how to become a tourist guide, particularly among the youths. Whilst key stakeholders have faith in the ability of the sector to be transformed and become a platform for career development among previously disadvantaged groups, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome before this can be realised. Additionally, the findings indicate a passion and willingness among all stakeholders to work cohesively to both grow and transform the subsector, thus providing a positive outlook for the future of the tourist guiding. This study adopted a mixed-method research design, to ensure a holistic and in-depth investigation into the research topic. Given the large population of guides in the country, registered in alignment with the Act (3 of 2014), a quantitative approach using surveys was adopted to gather information from tourist guides. A mixture of purposive and snowball sampling was used in disseminating an online survey link to tourist guides. Furthermore, to increase the response rate, data was also collected directly at key tourism attractions in the various provinces. A total of 434 usable surveys were collected. In addition, a qualitative approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of challenges to transformation, as well as, importantly, opportunities for transformation from an administrative and practical perspective. This was carried out in the form of in-depth interviews conducted with the provincial registrars of tourist guiding, as well as representatives of various tourist guiding associations, resulting in a total of 12 interviews. Preliminary findings from the surveys indicated that the tourist guiding subsector in South Africa is dominated by Black men between the ages of 35 and 44, highlighting issues of participation among women and the youth as has been previously noted. Most tourist guides operate within the culture-guiding category rather than adventure and nature while Gauteng was the most represented province in terms of area of operation. These results are supplemented by those from the qualitative aspect of the study, where key findings emphasised the key role that the national and provincial registrars play in the cohesiveness of the subsector; in the achievement of the professionalisation of tourist guiding, , given their ability to advance key aspects of transformation, as well as ensure that practical measures can be realised. Show less

Tourist guiding is an important subsector of the tourism sector. In South Africa, tourism forms an important contributor to the economy and accounts for a large portion of employment. Tourist guiding has been seen as a mechanism for upliftment due to the relative ease of entering the sector. Despite this, transformation within Show more

In the fight against the international climate crisis, the opinions of small island nation states echo with a unique resonance. These islands, though small in size, and often marginalised in earth’s oceans, are bearing witness to the massive impacts of climate change first-hand, standing often times alone and vulnerable against the rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ecological disturbances that threaten their very existence. As the world wrestles with the urgent need for sustainable solutions, it is important to listen to the insights and experiences of these small island nations and how they have gone about preparing to “accommodate” climate change and global warming into their economies and day-to-day lives. The climate crisis in recent years has become an urgent global concern, necessitating creative and sustainable solutions to mitigate its widespread and ever-evolving effects. Amidst this backdrop, the tourism industry it was found holds immense potential to drive positive change in the wake of this contemporary crisis affecting both the global North and South. This dissertation sets forth to consider tourism against this backdrop of climate change crisis, and questions if the former can be adapted or positioned to combat the latter, if at all possible. This dissertation will utilise the Seychelles as the primary case study to this investigation to test this hypothesis. In this context theoretical and practical frameworks for climate change and tourism will be devised and then applied to the indicated island nation state. This study aims to recommend various ways in which the Seychelles can off-set its designation as a “sinking nation” by situating tourism, potentially, at the helm of the island nation’s economy to combat climate change. Show less

In the fight against the international climate crisis, the opinions of small island nation states echo with a unique resonance. These islands, though small in size, and often marginalised in earth’s oceans, are bearing witness to the massive impacts of climate change first-hand, standing often times alone and vulnerable Show more

Over the past twenty years a group of women from Mogalakwena in the province of Limpopo have been crafting a living heritage by documenting their knowledge and experience of local cultural practices through the medium of embroidery. The women from Mogalakwena started documenting their knowledge of their culture as a way to sustain themselves. The embroidered panels document the traditional lifestyle and practices of the people of Mogalakwena, which range from traditional food recipes to an in-depth explanation of the way bridal processes work in this local community. This Master’s dissertation uses these embroidered panels to analyse the crafting of a living heritage, representing a gendered memorialisation of the culture and traditions of Mogalakwena. This will be achieved by arguing that these embroidered panels are indeed a way of preserving the history of the culture and practices of Mogalakwena through the use of visual and art history. The research shows how these panels contribute to post-1994 eras of South African history and collective memory. Show less

Over the past twenty years a group of women from Mogalakwena in the province of Limpopo have been crafting a living heritage by documenting their knowledge and experience of local cultural practices through the medium of embroidery. The women from Mogalakwena started documenting their knowledge of their culture as a way to Show more

Accommodation grading systems, such as the Star Grading System in South Africa, are classification or rating systems used in countries worldwide. It provides quality assurance and a sense of legitimacy to the business benefitting both the supply and demand side of the sector. Given the continuous changes the sector faces, the pressure on the green economy, the expansion of technology and the changes in visitor and tourist needs, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) must effect these changes in the grading system. The study analysed the perceived impact(s) of the accommodation rating system on establishments’ service quality, improvement, and performance in South Africa from a demand and supply perspective. For the tourists and visitors, the influence of grading on travel decisions. For the graded establishments, perceptions related to relevance, application, and influence of the rating system on performance were important. Given the current trends in the tourism sector, the importance of sustainability, technology safety and security as critical elements in grading were assessed for both population groups. Quantitative research was conducted after a thorough desktop study. The online survey conducted on ProQuest resulted in 440 South African respondents, 384 German respondents, 384 Indian respondents and 384 respondents from the rest of Africa totally 1536 questionnaires. The online survey was distributed through the TGCSA database resulted in 186 (in progress) questionnaires. From the demand perspective, it was found that accommodation choice is mainly influenced by pricing and safety and security. Technology was identified as a quality attribute for graded establishments followed by sustainability and service levels. Specifically, the grading criteria should assess aspects such as food waste and recycling and these are predictors of accommodation decisions. From a supply perspective, graded establishments generally indicated being satisfied with the level of professionalism of TGCSA assessors and the grading criteria applied by the council. Critical aspects such as grading contributing to the legitimacy their establishments, provision of relevant industry information, grading being a necessity for accommodation establishments in South Africa, while conveying a message of quality and trust were indicated by respondents. Intriguingly, in line with the demand perspective, suppliers ranked the sustainability efforts of the establishment, technology availability at the establishment, as well as safety and security as significant quality indicators for contemporary accommodation establishments [ahead of more traditional aspects such as room quality and service levels of the establishment]. The findings show a convergence of consumer demand and supplier perspectives related to the influence and significance of technology, safety and security, as well as the green economy on the accommodation sector. Thus, the study has significant policy implications for the future and relevance of accommodation grading in South Africa. Show less

Accommodation grading systems, such as the Star Grading System in South Africa, are classification or rating systems used in countries worldwide. It provides quality assurance and a sense of legitimacy to the business benefitting both the supply and demand side of the sector. Given the continuous changes the sector faces, the Show more

The study aimed to explore and understand the key role of community participation in the development of tourism in Phiphidi village. The specific objectives of the study included assessing the significance of community participation, identifying barriers to participation, examining mechanisms to encourage participation, and evaluating the overall impact of community involvement in sustainable tourism development. The importance of this research lay in its potential contributions to both academic scholarship and practical applications in the field of sustainable tourist development. Through a purposive sampling approach, the study engaged with a diverse group of 15 community members, representing various age groups, genders, and roles within the Phiphidi village. This deliberate selection allowed for a comprehensive exploration of different perspectives, ensuring a more nuanced understanding of the complex cultural dynamics and societal structures within the community. The research methodology involved the use of semi-structured interviews as the primary means of data collection. These interviews offered participants the freedom to elaborate on their experiences, thoughts, and feelings, providing rich insights into the role of the Phiphidi Village community in sustainable tourism development initiatives. The interview guide, with core questions focusing on community engagement, challenges, and strategies, was designed to maintain consistency while allowing flexibility for participants to share their unique perspectives. Upon completion of data collection, the study employed a thematic analysis approach to systematically categorize and analyze emerging themes from interview transcriptions and observational data. This analysis aimed to uncover patterns, similarities, and differences in participant responses, providing valuable insights into the community's experiences with sustainable tourism development. The findings of the study revealed a complex picture of drivers, obstacles, and goals within the Phiphidi community's attitudes towards sustainable tourism. Economic incentives, cultural pride, and concerns about transformative impacts all contributed to the multifaceted nature of the community's perspective. The recommendations drawn from the study emphasized the need for customized programs, open decision-making processes, measures to protect cultural heritage, educational initiatives, and comprehensive development strategies. Show less

The study aimed to explore and understand the key role of community participation in the development of tourism in Phiphidi village. The specific objectives of the study included assessing the significance of community participation, identifying barriers to participation, examining mechanisms to encourage participation, and Show more

Accommodation grading systems officially exist in many countries and globally, including South Africa, there are official star grading systems to classify tourism accommodation based on physical and qualitative criteria. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) plays a critical role in providing standardised ratings for accommodation establishments. However, in recent years, the tourism landscape has evolved significantly, driven by changing consumer preferences, emerging trends, and advancements in technology. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the grading system remains relevant and effectively serves the needs of both domestic and international tourists. This study examines perceptions of the influence and effectiveness of the tourism accommodation grading system in South Africa to provide insights into the relevance of the grading system and recommendations. A multi-conceptual theoretical framework is used, integrating institutional, quality management, diffusion and stakeholder theories. A mixed methods research design was adopted that includes desktop, quantitative (507 online and face-to-face interviews with consumers who used, were using or planned to use an accommodation establishment) and qualitative (30 purposively selected key informant interviews targeting 10 organisations, 10 graded establishments and 10 non-graded establishments) components. The results indicate support for accommodation grading (emphasis was placed on independence and credibility) and reviews/ ratings more generally. There was also some support that graded establishments are higher priced and higher levels of service quality and provision of amenities/ product offerings are expected. Most respondents did not regard the grading system as being very effective. The criteria used for grading are in alignment with factors deemed to be important by the respondents and key informants, with sustainability and transformational imperatives perceived to require greater attention. Issues were raised in relation to whether the criteria focused on ‘ticking boxes’ (the presence of attributes) rather than quality. Recognising the increased prominence of social media and ratings/ reviews, as well as diversity among accommodation establishments and considering niche/ non-conventional accommodation establishments in terms of type (such as Airbnbs) and location (specifically in townships and rural areas), were underscored. The need to consider multiple systems (including independent grading and reviews/ rating) that are complementary and institutionalising a monitoring and evaluation framework are key recommendations. Show less

Accommodation grading systems officially exist in many countries and globally, including South Africa, there are official star grading systems to classify tourism accommodation based on physical and qualitative criteria. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) plays a critical role in providing standardised ratings Show more

This study investigates the social impacts of tourism events on communities living in the vicinity of the event venues. It investigates perceptions of host communities on impacts of the events. The findings revealed that tourism events have both positive and negative impacts on host communities. The study uses the qualitative research approach which provides an opportunity to capture the richness and complexity of their experiences, which may not be captured by quantitative research methods. The study therefore, concluded that it is necessary to take necessary precautions when hosting events, especially in rural communities. The study concludes that the event should continue to be hosted because it helps the community to be able to generate income and creates employment for the local people as well as good business opportunities for local businesses. Show less

This study investigates the social impacts of tourism events on communities living in the vicinity of the event venues. It investigates perceptions of host communities on impacts of the events. The findings revealed that tourism events have both positive and negative impacts on host communities. The study uses the qualitative Show more

South Africa’s Bed & Breakfast (B&B) sector has grown rapidly since 1994 because of inclusive growth measures that seek to correct the tainted legacy of the apartheid era. The sector is widely occupied by small businesses which recruit local people using entry-level qualifications. However, little attention has been given to the training and development needs of employees working in this sector. The main aim of this study is to investigate the training and development needs of employees in the B & B sector in Thohoyandou. The primary objectives of this research are threefold: firstly, to determine the current levels of knowledge and skills possessed by employees concerning operational practices in B&Bs; secondly, to identify and specify the areas necessitating targeted training and development interventions; and thirdly, to analyse the challenges hindering the successful adoption and application of improved practices by employees. A quantitative research approach which followed a survey research design was utilised to achieve the research objectives. A random sampling technique was used to select 50 participants who took part in this study. The results would be useful for crafting appropriate training programs for employees as well as equipping employers with competitive enabling tools of employee management for the betterment of their businesses. On a broader scale, the results of this study would assist policymakers to effectively develop training and development policies targeted at improving the B&Bs in accommodation sector. There are challenges that people face while trying to execute sustainable practices. It is, therefore, recommended that employers consider improving the skills level of the employees through training. Show less

South Africa’s Bed & Breakfast (B&B) sector has grown rapidly since 1994 because of inclusive growth measures that seek to correct the tainted legacy of the apartheid era. The sector is widely occupied by small businesses which recruit local people using entry-level qualifications. However, little attention has been given to Show more